With the World Cup in June, many fans worldwide are anxious to watch the games. Many people are also excited to be able to work for the World Cup. Tim Spero is one of the many people working behind the scenes in audio post-production for the World Cup and many other gigs; most notably the X-Games.

  Spero got into radio in college, wanting to be a disc jockey. After realizing he wasn’t so good at it, he decided to go behind the scenes and learned the technical side of audio. After working in TV for several years, he then got a job in a recording studio. Next thing you know, he opened up his own recording studio. Working in audio post-production is unique in that he can do almost all his work at his home studio. Professionals from around the country send their work to him, whether it’s graphics or video from the X-games, and Spero then is able to tweak good sound into the media that is to be shown to the world.

  Whenever we watch videos from the X-games, we as viewers expect superb sound. Spero makes sure that the sound accompanying the media is satisfying with the use of noise reduction, layering and background music. Horrible background noise can kill a videos mood, such as a fan whirring in the background. With vigorous and fine-point noise reduction, he eliminates unwanted sounds from the tracks. Watching some videos that Spero has done work on for the X-games and ESPN’s Open Championship, you can really hear his consistency and attention to detail in his work. When the audio fits into the whole medium as if it were all one, the result is a professional sounding mix.

  Spero’s success in this field comes from his sheer talent and his ability to constantly adapt to his ever-changing environment due to technology advances. He started audio back when razor blades were being used to edit audio on tapes, much like news layouts used to be done with blades and paper. With everything being computerized, he had to adapt and learn how to use newer tools to achieve the same ultimate goal at his job. This skill of adapting applies to so many related fields such as video production where film is being replaced by digital video. Spero states that any good student can learn the technical aspect of a job, but you must also have an understanding of the productions workflow and knowing what a producer means when he tells you to do this or that.

  But can these skills be learned in school or should one just attempt to learn through other methods? Students must decide whether a college education is really necessary to succeed in this field or similar ones. Why spend so much time and money on an institutions education when you can spend less trying to break into the field through internships and hands on training. Spero gives us some insight on his opinions concerning this dilemma, stressing that college education is important. He mentions that in this corporate world that we live in now, you won’t be talking to the owner of a company, but instead to an HR rep who will probably ask you first, “What school did you go to?”

  If they had to choose between two people, both who have great personalities and are fit for the job, if one has a higher education, they will most likely get the job. Later in the interview, Spero mentions, “You learn life in college and that’s what makes college so important.”

  Spero has a very interesting job doing something that not many people appreciate due to the fact that he works behind the scenes. His final advice to those looking into technical careers like his is “to have a broad spectrum on what you want to work on”, and being the “all in one package” are must have advantages we should strive for to overcome the fierce competition in the job market. Remember, while you’re watching the World Cup this year, appreciate the people like Spero who are working 45 days straight for 14 hour days to ensure that your viewing experience is 100 percent satisfactory.